Driver dies after crash

A woman died today after scrambling from her burning car. The woman, thought to be around 40, had suffered severe burns but had managed to free herself from her white Ford Fiesta, which had plunged off the road and down a steep embankment.

A woman died today after scrambling from her burning car. The woman, thought to be around 40, had suffered severe burns but had managed to free herself from her white Ford Fiesta, which had plunged off the road and down a steep embankment.

She was found at the top of the incline at 12.30pm yesterday on the Slaley to Blanchland road on the Northumberland-County Durham border.

She was airlifted to Newcastle General Hospital, where she was treated for severe burns.

The woman, who is yet to be formally identified, died at Newcastle General Hospital early this morning.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “Police, together with the ambulance and fire service, responded to a report of a vehicle on fire about one mile outside Blanchland in Northumberland. “It is understood the vehicle, a white Ford Fiesta, was found around 80 yards down a steep incline.

“A woman, thought to be around 40 years of age, was found at the top of the incline with serious and severe burn injuries.” Ambulance crews from Hexham and Weardale attended the scene. An ambulance service spokeswoman said: “We got a call from a member of the public saying a car was on fire and was down an embankment.

“When crews arrived they found a woman lying at the top of the embankment with severe burns. She was airlifted to hospital.” Police in Hexham say they are not treating the death as suspicious but are investigating what happened.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on (01661) 872 555, ext 61944. In another incident, a man was trapped in his car after it crashed and flipped on to its roof.

Two crews from Gosforth fire station were called to Prestwick Road, Dinnington, Newcastle, at around 10.10pm yesterday following reports of the accident. When they arrived the driver of the Vauxhall Corsa was unconscious and trapped upside down.

Crew manager Don Miller of Gosforth fire station said: “We got to the scene at around the same time as the ambulance and more or less straight away smashed the back windscreen to get to him. We took him out on a board and he was taken to Newcastle General Hospital.”